


The Things We've Kept Hidden

by themarkofpain



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel in the Bunker, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Season/Series 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:29:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4671779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themarkofpain/pseuds/themarkofpain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A hidden piano in the bunker helps Dean and Cas find their hidden love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Things We've Kept Hidden

There are many things hidden away in the bunker.

Dean and Sam have spent days searching through the various rooms and chambers, exhausting hour after hour, elbow deep in boxes of files and artifacts.

Yet they somehow never noticed the vertical piano that was neatly tucked away in the corner of one of the bedrooms. That is, until Castiel moved into the bunker.

It was an ordinary Tuesday morning; Dean was cooking breakfast in the kitchen while Sam was looking for new cases in the library. Just as Dean was about to plate the eggs, there was a loud knock on the bunker’s door.

Dean immediately ran to Sam, who was already standing and alert to the noise.

“Who do you think it could be?” Sam asked as he moved to a nearby bookshelf to retrieve a hidden gun.

Dean opened his mouth to answer when another sharp knock rang out. But that time, a voice followed the knock. “Dean? Sam? It’s Castiel.”

Dean’s eyes widened as soon as he heard the voice. “Cas,” he murmured before he ran up the stairs to the door, Sam close at his heels.

The door was flung open, and before the brothers stood a rumpled and tired Castiel; his clothes askew and his face drained of color, except for the touch of purple under his eyes. But he was in one piece, and that was all that mattered to Dean.

“Cas?” Dean rasped.

“I apologize for dropping in unexpectedly, but I had no where else to go,” Cas explained with a sheepish expression.

“Geez, no need to apologize, buddy. You’re welcome here anytime.” Dean pulled Cas into a hug, suddenly realizing how long it had been since he had last seen him. “I’ve missed you, Cas,” Dean said softly into Cas’ hair.

“I’ve missed you too, Dean,” Cas replied just as gently, his arms tightening around Dean’s back.

Sam cleared his throat from behind them with a smirk on his face. Both men pulled away quickly, exchanging small smiles as blushes colored their faces. Sam rolled his eyes before giving Cas a quick hug. “It’s good to see you, Cas.”

“Good to see you as well, Sam,” Cas replied with a smile.

“Alright, well come on in, Cas,” Dean ushered Cas to walk down the stairs as he continued. “Are you hungry? I was just making some breakfast...”

“Actually, I am extremely tired. I spent most of the night driving here.”

“Um, okay. Let’s go find you a room then.”

Sam gave Cas a quick wave before turning down the hall to the kitchen for breakfast, leaving Dean and Cas to walk down to the bedrooms.

“Ok, Cas, so there are four free bedrooms in this hallway, where Sam and I also sleep,” Dean explained.

Cas opened the first door closest to him. The room was just like the brothers’, in addition to some extra boxes that were laid on the floor and bed. He closed the door without even stepping over the threshold and moved on to the next.

This continued on with each room; Cas would carefully survey it but then he would move on. Dean was worried that Cas would end up not liking any of the rooms and decide to just leave. But when he opened the door to the last room, he actually walked in. And walked right to the corner where a small piano sat, looking like it was forgotten about for many, many years.

“Huh. I didn’t know there was a piano in here,” Dean observed.

Cas laid a gentle hand on the piano’s surface and softly brushed off some of the dust, almost to the point of caressing. “It’s a spinet piano, most likely produced in the 1930’s due to its short height and immaculate detailings on the legs.”

Dean scoffed. “Whatever you say, Beethoven.”

Cas ignored his comment and pressed on. “Dean, can you show me how to play?”

“So you can tell what kind of piano it is just from its legs but you don’t know how to play it?” Dean said dubiously.

“Well, we didn’t have any pianos in heaven, Dean,” Cas sassed. “And most of my time on Earth has been spent in turmoil. So, no, I do not know how to play this piano.”

“Okay, okay. Geez, Cas. I get it,” Dean stammered sheepishly. “And uh, I don’t know how to play it either Cas.”

Cas’ expression softened immediately. “That’s okay, Dean, I understand. It is a rare talent.”

“I’m sorry, buddy,” Dean laid a hand on Cas’ shoulder. “But I bet Sam can help you find some tutorials online to help you learn.”

Cas smiled, “Yes, that would be great. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, Cas.” The two shared soft smiles for several more seconds before Dean realized that he still had his hand on Cas’ shoulder. He quickly pulled away and murmured something illegible under his breath.

“Alright," Dean clapped his hands together and looked towards the bed. "Well, let’s get you some clean sheets so you can get some shut eye.”

**********

Sam had not even taken a sip out of his steaming cup of coffee the next morning when Dean strode into the kitchen, fully alert and dressed.

“Hey, Sam, can you come with me to this music store I found? I want to get some sheets of piano music for Cas.”

“Why can’t you just go yourself, Dean?” Sam questioned, wanting his usual alone time with his morning coffee.

Dean looked down and stammered, “I, um, I just want a second opinion, s’all.”

Sam smirked at his brother’s embarrassment. “I’m pretty sure Cas would like any music that you would pick out, but sure, I’ll go with you.”

Dean rolled his eyes and didn’t even bother saying anything else before turning away and walking towards the garage. 

Sam sighed sadly at his coffee mug, reluctantly leaving it on the table to follow his brother.

The music store, Alto Music, was quaint and simple, but jam-packed with instruments. Guitars covered the walls, countless drums lined the floor, and pyramids piled high with every instrument case known to man. Dean quickly asked the bored teenager behind the counter where the music sheets were, and soon they were standing in front of stacks and stacks of thin booklets.

The quiet search went on for several minutes; Dean in deep concentration while Sam shifted idly through the papers, his attention constantly alternating between the sheets and his brother.

“So, how do you feel about Cas being at the bunker?” Sam finally asked as he was slowly fingering through the sheets.

Dean didn’t look up from his own stack as he answered. “What do you mean? I’m freaking stoked to have Cas here. He should have moved in a long time ago.”

“Well, yeah, of course. And I totally agree with you. I guess what I’m trying to ask is, how do you feel about Cas?”

Dean stopped flicking through the sheets and narrowed his eyes at his brother. “You tryin’ to get me to spill all my freakin’ emotions or some shit?” He continued to search the music again. “Not gonna happen, Sam.”

“Look, Dean. I know that you like Cas, and it’s pretty obvious that he feels the same way. If only you saw that hug yesterday…”

“I hadn’t seen him in weeks and had barely heard from him. I was happy to see him in one piece!” Dean interrupted defensively.

“Even so, look at you now. Taking all this time to pick out just the right music for him. You obviously care for him, Dean, a lot more than you are willing to admit. And Cas cares for you, too.”

Dean sighed exasperatedly. “Why are telling me all of this?”

“I just want you to be happy, Dean.” Sam sounded just as irritated. “And now that Cas is going to be living with us, probably for a while...I just think now is as good a time as any to talk with him. To tell him how you feel. Because he’s not gonna go anywhere.”

Dean was silent and stone faced. Sam sighed and began looking through his own stack of music sheets again.

“How do you know that?” Dean asked after several minutes in a small voice.

Sam looked up at Dean and saw genuine curiosity and hope. “Cas never wants to leave you, Dean,” Sam answered softly.

“Then why does he always leave?” Dean questioned with far more sadness than Sam could handle.

“Well, why does he always come back?”

**********

“Hey, Cas, you’re finally up,” Dean ruffled Cas’ hair. The brothers had found him in the library with a book laid out in front of him, but still in his pajamas and bed head.

“Yes, I woke up and you were gone,” Cas stated with a frown.

Dean winced, “Yeah, I probably should have written a note for you, sorry.” He smoothed out some of Cas’ hair with an apologetic smile.

“But anyway,” Dean pulled his hand out of Cas’ hair and cleared his throat. “Sam and I got you something.”

“Oh?” Cas’ eyebrows quirked up in both interest and confusion.

“Yeah, we, um, just got you some music sheets so you can start practicing on the piano.”

“And I’m going to find some online tutorials that go along with the sheets,” Sam added.

Dean held out the music for Cas to take, who grasped the sheets gingerly, a look of awe upon his face.

“Thank you so much, Dean. That was incredibly thoughtful of you. These are lovely,” Cas complimented.

“Yeah, well, um,” Dean stuttered. “Sam helped pick them out, too.”

“Well, thank you, Sam. I greatly appreciate it.”

“No problem, Cas. I’m glad you like them,” Sam replied with a knowing smile.

“I’m going to put them on the piano stand now,” Cas declared before he briskly left the room. Sam smiled once again at Cas’ eagerness, and it turned even brighter once he saw Dean’s huge smile and sparkling eyes.

“See, Dean, he thought they were lovely.”

“Shut up.”

**********

Cas spent hours and hours practicing on the old piano.

Research was made tolerable as the music floated through the bunker. Dean felt like he was cooking in a five star restaurant while the soft piano was playing. Sam even started up yoga because of the relaxing melodies.

At first, Dean tried to watch Cas as he played. But Cas would always immediately stop playing when he would show up and say things like, ‘I can’t concentrate when you look at me, Dean.’ or ‘Your presence is distracting me, Dean. I’m sorry.’

And yeah, Dean got that. But that didn’t stop him from feeling pissed off, and a bit hurt, the first few times it happened. However, he got over it pretty quick since he got to at least hear the wonderful music so often.

Everyone was at peace in the bunker. Cas loved playing, and the brothers loved hearing it.

Until one morning when Dean woke up to the sound of the piano. At six in the morning.

“Dammit, Cas,” Dean muttered and tiredly rolled out of his bed. He proceeded to shuffle down the hallway towards the source of the disturbance, ready to give Cas a piece of his mind.

Dean burst through the door. “Cas -” But then he stopped. Cas was hunched over the piano keys in deep concentration; his eyebrows drawn together as his long fingers moved across the keys with such care and precision. He also looked like he just woke up; his hair was a mess and he was still in his PJ’s.

He was so beautiful.

Cas shifted away from the keys once he realized Dean was at the door and gave him a puzzled look. “What is it?” Cas questioned innocently, clearly unaware of the effects from his early morning playing.

“Um, it’s just - You're playing your piano when Sam and I are trying to sleep...well, um, I guess just Sam, now, since you woke me up,” Dean explained in a nervous yet irritated tone.

“Oh, I apologize, Dean. I didn’t realize it was before dawn. My sleep was interrupted by a nightmare, and the prospect of sleeping again seemed very unpleasant, so I decided to play the piano.”

Now Dean was really lost for words after that admission, and his heart was contracting almost painfully in his chest. Dean wasn’t sure what to do, but thankfully, before he did something stupid like hug Cas until he forgot about his nightmares, Cas spoke again. “Even though you are upset that I woke you, would you like to join me?”

Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Like, watch you play the piano?”

“Yes, if you are interested in doing that.” Cas looked away shyly and Dean immediately moved to put his hand on Cas’ shoulder.

“Yeah, Cas, of course I'd like to watch you play.” Dean responded as he squeezed his shoulder.

Cas gave him a warm smile as he shifted down the old wooden bench. Dean sat down and smiled when he realized how close together they were on the seat.

Dean folded his hands together on his lap. “So, what music do you like the most, Cas?”

“I really enjoy Pachelbel’s Canon in D, MacDowell’s To A Wild Rose, and Beethoven’s Für Elise.”

Dean raised his eyebrows and smirked. “So you actually can play Beethoven.” Cas rolled his eyes before he started to shift through the music sheets.

“Pick one of the songs you said you liked the most,” Dean requested.

Cas continued to finger through the sheets for a minute before deciding on Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

Dean was mesmerized. Cas moved so smoothly and confidently across the keys it looked like he had been playing for years. Not to mention the way Cas’ hands moved was enticing, causing Dean’s mind wonder as to how else they could move. The music was beautiful and elegant, and somehow even more so with Cas playing it.

Half an hour later, Sam finally woke up and appeared at the doorway. Cas continued to play without pause while Dean simply shrugged. Sam just rolled his eyes.

**********

After that morning, everything changed. Cas’ rule of Dean not being allowed around while he played vanished, and Dean would sit with him almost everyday. Most days he would sit on the bed and read while enjoying the lovely melodies. Sometimes when it was really late, Dean would fall asleep with the book on his chest. Dean also liked just sitting next to Cas on the old bench and observing Cas’ long fingers as they gracefully moved across the keys. 

“Would you like to try to play a song, Dean?” Cas suddenly asked, just realizing how Dean has never played before.

“Oh no, that’s okay, Cas. I really just like watching you play,” Dean admitted with a blush.

“But it’s a much better experience if you are the one playing. Hold out your hands.”

Dean’s eyes widened at the command. “Wh-what?”

“I said, hold out your hands,” Cas repeated in a softer tone.

Dean gingerly held out his hands, Cas gently moving them to the correct position on the keys.

“Okay, so this song starts out on C.” Cas put his right hand over Dean’s and placed his thumb on his so that it hit the key. The noise rang out loudly in the small room, but Dean could still hear his own heartbeat as it pulsed in his ears.

“The next note is F.” Cas then laid his ring finger on Dean’s, causing his whole hand to be rested on top. He spread out Dean’s fingers so they were positioned correctly over the keys and did the same with his left hand.

They continued playing each note of the song one by one, with Cas naming each note as they went along. It wasn’t long before the whole song was over, but Cas’ hands continued to lay over Dean’s.

“Now what?” Dean asked in a soft voice, hoping it would not involve Cas removing his hands.

“Now we play the song altogether without the breaks in between notes,” Cas explained.

“Alright, let’s do it,” Dean turned his head to smile at Cas when he realized just how close they were sitting. Cas’ face was mere inches from his own, and suddenly Dean forgot how to work his mouth into speaking.

Dean quickly ducked his head and stuttered, “S-So, where do we start again?”

Cas let out a small sigh before he replied, “On C.”

They played through the whole song without pausing, which only took about 30 seconds. Dean brought his eyebrows together in confusion, knowing he had heard the song before but not being able to place it. And then it hit him.

“Cas, did we really just play The Itsy Bitsy Spider?”

Cas just smirked while Dean burst out laughing, causing his hands to come out from under Cas’ in the process. Cas began laughing too and playfully knocked his shoulder against Dean’s.

But then Dean’s mood sombered. He knew he finally had to ask Cas the question that had been buzzing around in his head for weeks. “So, are you staying here?”

Cas tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you’ve been here for a few weeks now, and you’re pretty settled in...but are you going to stay, like, permanently?” Dean winced once the words tumbled out, but Cas’ face softened and his lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile.

“Is that what you would like me to do, Dean? To live in the bunker, permanently?”

“Of course, Cas, that’s what I’ve always wanted,” Dean replied quickly. Cas stared into Dean’s eyes, his own sparkling like hundreds of stars, and it took Dean’s breath away. And then Dean thought he would never breathe again when Cas brought his lips to Dean’s.

The kiss was simple and sweet and Dean loved every second of it. Cas tasted like apples and beginnings and Dean couldn’t get enough.

When they finally pulled away, Cas held Dean’s face between his hands and whispered, “That’s what I’ve always wanted, too.”


End file.
